Ancient Western Asia and the Civilization of Mesopotamia Driving Question What are the causes and effects for the development of complex institutions throughout the ancient world? Main Idea Neolithic Revolution changes human’s interaction with the environment through the use of simple tools to create settled agriculture communities instead of hunting and gathering nomadic clans. Thus humans began to manipulate their environment. Permanent Settlements- The people of Mesopotamia migrated to the Fertile Crescent due to lack of water and climate change. They developed permanent settlements in the rich soil--> Neolithic Revolution.
a. Improved human nutrition resulting from enhanced hunting skills b. Dramatically altered weapons and warfare caused by the use of bronze technology c. The adoption of settled agriculture that allowed more densely populated societies d. Major advances in human brain function e. The development of the wheel which gave advances to pastoralist societies Many historians believe the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture led to societies that were more a. Isolated b. Egalitarian c. Patriarchal d. Dispersed e. Matriarchal The earliest religions of settled farming communities tended to focus on … a. a male / father protector god b. a female / mother earth goddess c. many complex anthropomorphic gods d. a covenant with a monotheistic God e. a dualistic afterlife of good versus evil The statue of a queen of Kush shown below was most probably influenced by the art of a. Greece b. China c. Egypt d. India e. Gaul Which of the following MOST helps to explain why the river valley civilization of ancient Egypt remained politically unified for much of its existence, while ancient Mesopotamia was frequently divided into rival
History midterm paper In what ways did the American Exchange shape the modern world between 1500 and 1800? The voyages of historical European explorers in the early modern era between 1500 and 1800 resulted in short and long term consequences in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The diffusion of plants, food crops, human populations, disease pathogens, and animals changed the world’s biological fabrication for the first time since the continental drift. In 1492 Christopher Columbus stepped foot in the Americas with the desire to obtain basic resources, food, and land. The Europeans introduced the Americas to crops of wheat, barley, rice, and turnips, although these crops had little effect on the new world.
As this time period went on people started to migrate to places and settle their for a while. Thanks to steady food supply because of agriculture and domestication they were able to do this. Having steady food supply and tools made civilization more bearable. The Neolithic Revolution was a “period in human history marked by the introduction of agriculture and a shift from food gathering to food production”. This revolution changed many peoples courses of life.
Mesopotamia Before the Mesopotamian civilization, there was little guidance or know-how on how to bring order to a large populations of people. As the population grew larger, the necessity of order developed into a systematic approach by instituting a government that could lead people and projects to a new high. This idea of government led a civilization into efficiency the world had never seen. With the authority and guidance of government, they not only produced agriculture for countless people but, built amazing temples, cities with waterways, protective walls, streets and buildings. They used the advantages of the rivers and the fertile land to shape their world through trade and agriculture.
They hunted wild animals or gather edible products of naturally growing plants. On the other hand, unlike the Paleolithic, the Neolithic discovered agriculture and farmed and were able to have permanent settlements because by agriculture, they were able to farm their own food sources. The types of tools used by each society’s were different. The Nomadic people used weapons made from wood and stone tools that were not sharpened. But during the Neolithic era technology was much more advanced than in the Paleolithic era.
Throughout the history of mankind, the change of different societies from having an economic system to another has always brought dramatic changes. The necessity of changing the way some group obtains and manages its resources often comes along with some kind of change in the environment where it resides or of its own people and the technologies it possesses. In Archeology, a very important and interesting transition is that of a hunting-gathering subsistence economy to one based on agriculture and domestication. This was the first dramatic change that enabled humanity to evolve to its current state. After intensive research and examination of numerous sites, it is clear that this change did not occur in a sudden way, people did not just decide to domesticate plants and animals instead of gathering and hunting them.
So, what helped humans to evolve and flourish all over the world while chimps and bonobos stay relatively unchanged? Our ancestors were highly adaptable to the fast changes of the climate. They developed bipedalism, the most energy efficient way of movement that was crucial for survival; they invented complex tools, which gave them access to the more diversified food; and finally, big brain, which gave our ancestors possibility to live complex social life, which includes: language, tight social bonds, collective learning, etc. Analyzing animal’s fossils we can define what kind of environment and climate was in this or that territory at a particular period of time. If we find the bones of hippopotamus or zebra in the desert it is obvious that this territory was savanna with lakes and rivers before.
It is important that they leave some resources intact however, so that it can regenerate and they can return later on (Nowak & Laird, 2010). In order to supplement their diet the Mbuti do occasionally trade with farmers from other villages in order to obtain vegetables and other carbohydrates. A unique feature of the Mbuti people is that they continue to use nets for hunting unlike most other hunters who continue to use other tools such as the bow and arrow. Net hunting is accomplished by using several people to herd game into a designated spot where a net is used to capture them. This has fascinated anthropologists and some have
Chapter 2: The Earliest Human Societies Lesson 1 Hunters and Gatherers MAIN IDEAS Geography Early humans adapted to the natural environment. Culture Humans created tools to ensure survival and to improve life. Culture Early humans developed language, religion, and art. Early Humans’ Way of Life ESSENTIAL QUESTION How did early humans interact with the environment? Hunter-Gatherers Adapt to Environments • Early humans were hunter-gatherers - hunted animals, gathered plants for food - moved to a new location when food ran out • Depended on natural environment for shelter - lived in caves and shelters made of rocks, branches, animal skins Small Bands • Lived in small bands of about 30 people - group included several families - group size reflected how many people could live off food in region • Men hunted, fished • Women gathered nuts, berries; cared for children - children also worked Early Humans on the Move • Hunter-gatherers were nomads—people who moved from place to place • Groups returned to the same places with the changes of seasons - bands joined together at certain times of year, formed communities • Moved to new, distant lands while following animals to hunt - migration—moving from one place to settle in another Chapter 2: The Earliest Human Societies World History: Ancient Civilizations 1 Early Humans on the Move • By 15,000 B.C., hunter-gatherers had migrated through much of world - crossed land bridge between Siberia and Alaska, entering Americas • Migrating groups entered territory of other groups - groups shared knowledge, tools - sometimes caused violent conflicts if groups feared each other REVIEW QUESTION Why did hunter-gatherers move often?